By Labour Affairs Rail maintenance budgets slashed The need for an energetic trade union leader for the RMT has not gone away. The issues within the industry that led to the industrial action have not been resolved. Scot Rail, state owned, is pushing ahead with a programme to reduce booking office hours, in some cases … Continue reading Mick Lynch retires
Pete Stevens With the rail network being front and centre of national debate over the past year due to the ongoing industrial action, Labour finally published its response to reform in April, “Getting Britain Moving”. The document promises to “usher in a decade of growth, innovation and service improvement”. The headline improvement is rail renationalisation. Not … Continue reading Rail Re-nationalisation, well, maybe
The Scandal of Northern Inequality Nikola Bryce (Workers Party) “Inequalities between our regions are not inevitable. They are a product of policy choices in the design of our economy and democracy…” State of the North – Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) Report 2024 By Nikola Bryce (Workers Party GB Writers Group) In February 2022 the Tories … Continue reading Levelling Up will never happen under the Uniparty
Great news for the RMT and other campaigners: Plans to close rail ticket offices in England scrapped The BBC article belowsquotes the Labour Shadow Transport Secretary saying Labour will nationalise the railways and have a unified system, but the programme does not specify how they will do that. The piece also keeps silent the RMT … Continue reading Ticket Offices—A Victory
[Since Mick Lynch made this speech, the government have announced the closure of all ticket offices.] RMT Press Office: In his annual address to RMT AGM, general secretary Mick Lynch said: "The RMT is sound, robust and in good shape to meet the challenges ahead. "However, we cannot be complacent because the challenges are significant. … Continue reading Mick Lynch in his Own Words
Working conditions: the case of the railways Eamon Dyas In its report on the recent pay offer to the railway workers (link below) the BBC acts as the public relations department of the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) in the way it frames the offer. Not only is the 4% on offer miserly in itself but … Continue reading Working Conditions: the Case of the Railways
(The image above is by water colour artist Inga Bystram) Transport Committee meetings 11/1/23 https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/12513/pdf/ The three witnesses are Mick Lynch (RMT), Mick Whelan (ASLEF) and Frank Ward (TSSA). One of the Committee members is the SNP Gavin Newlands, whose later intervention in the House of Commons we quote below. Extracts. Question. [There have been three … Continue reading Mick Lynch In His Own Words
The News Personified—a fresh look at the news A short daily humorous piece on French state radio ‘France Info’ Every morning, the journalist Marie Dupin takes on the role of a personality, an event, a place or a fact at the heart of the news. News reports usually leave out historical context, or even any … Continue reading Marie Dupin
Minimum service levels legislation By Pete Whitelegg We are currently witnessing the largest wave of industrial action since the start of the Thatcher era. The current high level of inflation, combined with real wages having stagnated for at least the past 10 years (see charts elsewhere in the magazine), with real standards of living collapsing for … Continue reading Are Strikes Being Banned?
Mick Lynch in His Own Words Politics Joe interview with Mick Lynch Politics Joe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPSez6Yz6iw Sunday 27 November 2022 Q. Why do you think the tabloids have taken the government side rather than your side? ML: The Tabloids are on the side of the ruling class, (people don’t like this terminology), Murdoch and all the … Continue reading Mick Lynch in his Own Words
Mick Lynch In His Own Words Mick Lynch at the House of Commons Transport Select Committee, 12 October 2022 Transport CommitteeOral evidence: Travel Disruption Wednesday 12 October 2022Ordered by the House of Commons to be published on 12 October 2022. Watch the meeting Members present: Huw Merriman (Chair); Mr Ben Bradshaw; Ruth Cadbury; Robert Largan; Karl McCartney; … Continue reading Mick Lynch in His Own Words
by Pete Whitelegg With the election of Margaret Thatcher in 1979 most of the state-owned industries were privatised including many of the businesses operating within the umbrella of British Railways. Sealink Ferries and British Transport Hotels were sold by 1984. Travellers Fare catering by 1988 and British Rail Engineering (train building) by 1989. But it … Continue reading The Cost of Rail Privatisation
Labour Affairs 